Shadows of the Truth
by funkyorange
Summary: It's Shadow Evans' third year and there's a lot of things going on: the tri-wizard tournament, the Quidditch World cup and the slightly insane defence teacher. Rated for language, read Life and Lies and New Year, new Lies first or it won't make sense.
1. In Which Shadow is Attacked

_Hi, this is your author speaking...writing...whatever. Check out my new one-shots, Bungee Jumping, Snape's Bringing Sexy Back and Hufflepuffs WHERE? As you can perhaps tell, they are humorous. I tried, anyway. On with the story!_

Shadow Evans hugged her mother, squealing. "You got tickets!" The Quidditch World Cup was exiting, even for Shadow, who wasn't into Quidditch. But she was going, merely to show support...and because Draco and Ginny would be there.

Lily smiled at her daughter's enthusiasm. "Yes, I got tickets. Top Box, as well. I won them in a competition."

"_Great!_" Shadow hugged her mother again. Squealing, she hurried off to tell Draco and Ginny the news.

At the Burrow, Ginny Weasley received a letter from her best friend:

_Dearest Ginny,_

_Guess what? Mum won some competition in Witch Weekly and got us top-box tickets to the Quidditch world cup! I wonder if we'll be sat near one another. And Draco, too! How are you, anyway? I'm fine, on cloud nine right now! Have you spoken to Hermione or Draco or Colin or Penny recently?_

_All my love (well, with quite a bit left for Draco, too!),_

_Shadow xxx_

Elsewhere, Draco Malfoy received a nearly exactly the same letter.

Shadow Evans lazed in her bed, enjoying the feel of Cassie, her cat, lazing on her chest. Shadow was just drifting back off to sleep when her mother came into the room, sitting down on her bed. "It's the world cup today," she said airily.

Shadow sat up quickly, shooed her mother out of the room and quickly got dressed.

The game was brilliant. Veela and Leprechauns fought, when the other team had scored, and Ireland won when Victor Krum of Bulgaria's team, caught the snitch. Shadow had hugged her friends, exited even though she wasn't that interested, and watched a pimply wizard three years above her in Hogwarts pick his nose.

It was only after the game that things got interesting.

Shadow had been sleeping when she had awoken to the sound of screams. Her mother had been frantically getting dressed when Shadow had burst into her room, saying, "Mum, what's going on?"

"Death Eaters," Lily said, sounding worried. "Shadow, get to the woods, there's our portkey there." Shadow nodded, grabbed black jeans and a hoodie and set out into the night.

The scene was horrifying. Men in black robes and bone masks were floating Muggles above the scene: tents were alight, the fire lighting up the night along with green and red lights flying anywhere. Elder wizards were fighting the masked men, but Shadow didn't hang around to watch, she simply ran for the trees, wild hair falling out of the scrappy bun she'd put it in. Suddenly, she ducked as a green light flew towards her. A branch caught her cheek, but she didn't stop, running and tripping over tree roots. Suddenly, arms grasped her from behind. She didn't hesitate, bringing up her leg and kicking behind her. She felt him release her arms, and she spun round and kicked upwards, into his masked jaw. When she saw he was down, she took off back towards the portkey station. Panting, she sped up to get to the portkey, only for it to disappear as she just reached it. Cursing quietly, she thought quickly and pulled herself up a tree, and reached for her wand. She wasn't sure what she could do, but she could disarm them if they weren't that quick. Crouching on a branch, she waited.

Soon, the morning light came, along with Ministry Aurours. She was finally taken back to her mother, and Lily was very happy to see her. _  
_

_Dear Draco,_

_How are you after the Cup? I got stuck there all night! It was so scary! But I was up a tree, so I wasn't hurt or anything. I _did_ manage to get a Death Eater, though! What happened to you? Are you alright? Ginny was okay, thank Merlin._

_All my love, Shadow xxxx._

Lying down, she pulled the covers of her bed up to her chin and sighed. She could sleep for a week.

And that's what she did.


	2. In Which The Champions are picked

_Forgive me if the details are wrong: my GOF book has mysteriously disappeared. Plus, it's an AU. The spell means make you bleed, but it's a GOOGLE translate, I don't know Latin. Plus, I made up Neville's middle name. _

The next morning, Shadow was walking around the lake when she was pulled up. "Evans," said Longbottom. Like last time, a wand pressed into her neck. "You're going to pay. My Grandmother made _me,_ the _boy-who-lived_ clean like a common house-elf!" He was angry now. "And I learnt an interesting curse the other day. I was in class with Moody when he showed it to us. It was this one," he said, voice softening, "Esto sanguinare." Blood began trickling out of Shadow's nose, slowly at first, then stronger and faster. A drop ran down from her mouth. Longbottom began walking away, so Shadow ran to the hospital wing, and screamed, "Madame Pomphrey!" She hurried over; paling when she saw Shadow, now bleeding from the mouth, nose, ears and bloody tears fell from her eyes down her pale face. "Help me," she whispered, before passing out from blood-loss.

Pomphrey hurried to her potion cabinet, and then waved her wand over the student. _A blood-loss curse?_ She thought, shocked. _Minerva won't be pleased._ First, she removed the drying blood from the girl's face, and stopped the curse from continuing. Secondly, she poured as many blood-replenishing potions as she had down the girl's throat, but she needed more! She hurried to floo the Potions Master, because if she didn't hurry, her patient might die!

"Severus, Miss Evans has been hit with a blood-loss curse, and I need some more blood-replenishing potions, immediately! Miss Evans might _die!_" He began to work. Luckily, the potion was made in only half an hour by a skilled master of the art, so he had several batches up to the nurse as soon as he could. He then set about the task of fire-calling Lily.

A very annoyed and scared red-head ran up to the hospital wing moments after he had delivered the news. Shadow was stable, so Snape set about the task of informing Draco, Ginny, Hermione, Colin, and Luna. Penelope had left school the year before, going into Journalism for Witch Weekly.

A few days later, Shadow was out of danger and had awoken groggily. As soon as she was fit to talk, Headmistress McGonagall began to question her about whom had done the terrible deed.

"Neville Longbottom," she replied. "He told me Moody had performed it in class." Nobody missed Minerva's eyes narrowing. "It was for making his grandmother make him clean." She coughed.

Soon after that, Shadow was up and about when a red howler was delivered to one shocked Neville Franklin Longbottom.

"_Neville Franklin Longbottom! Never have I before been ashamed to be your grandmother, even with your lousy scores last year, but NOW? How _DARE_ you use the Blood-Loss curse on Shadow Lily Rosa Evans? I had heard that you had threatened her, and I punished you appropriately, but THIS goes beyond threats! I am coming to the castle tonight and I am NOT afraid to spank you in front of Miss Evans and the rest of the castle! _

_BEHAVE!"_

With that, the howler burst into flame. The whole hall stared in horror at the red-faced, quivering boy. "I didn't do it," he said, but he was a lousy liar.

A few weeks later, when Neville's punishment had been decided (he would clean the whole castle, top to bottom, and then sort out all the papers in Filch's office), Minerva McGonagall announced The Tri-Wizard tournament was coming to Hogwarts. Everyone went wild. The Weasley twins tried to plan how to get in, along with half of the castle, while Snape took more points than ever, and _everyone _in Hufflepuff convinced Cedric Diggory to enter. Longbottom boasted around the castle about 'how he would enter and win'.

A few days later, the two other schools involved arrived: Durmstrang, which had the surly Viktor Krum, and Baxubeatons, which had the beautiful part veela Fleur Delacour. Miss Delacour was the younger sister of Callie Delacour, elder sister of Gabrielle. The Goblet of Fire was lit that night, followed by a spectacular feast. Shadow's new classes had also begun: she had followed Hermione's course and taken every class. Muggle Studies was a joke, along with Divination, but Care Of Magical Creatures, Runes and Arithmacy were very good classes. She was piled up with homework, but with her time turner, she managed it.

It was Halloween, Shadow's birthday and the night that the Champions would be revealed. The headmistress stood up and the Goblet turned red, a piece of paper floated out: it read _Fleur Delacour._ The second read _Viktor Krum._ The third was _Cedric Diggory. _And then the astonishing happened. A _fourth_ name came out of the Goblet. It was Neville Longbottom's.

As far as the school knew, Longbottom had put his name in himself, even though he denied it. This continued on for a month, until the first task. The first task: _Dragons._


	3. In Which Shadow watches the tasks

_AU, people. I know in cannon, only fourth years and above are allowed to go without dates, but I simply _had_ to change it, if only to get them all dressed up without inventing OCs (or more than what is in use now) and without involving characters I didn't want involved yet. _

Shadow had gone down to the arena with everyone else: she had sat beside Draco and Luna, Ginny and Colin beside them, Hermione had decided not to watch the task. First was Cedric: he was up against a Chinese Fireball. He transfigured a rock into a dog and distracted it like that. He got mostly eights. Next was Fleur, and she used her veela charm on the Welsh Green she was facing. After that was Viktor: He had cast some kind of curse on the Norwegian Ridgeback he had gotten. Both Fleur and Viktor had mostly sevens. Then it was Longbottom's turn. _He _had simply worn some kind of invisibility cloak, and still managed to get hurt. He got threes for effort, apart from Bagman's ten. They had all collected a golden egg.

Moody had taught the unforgivable curses in class. They had all made Shadow feel ill.

A few months later, the Yule ball was announced. Draco had immediately asked her, whereas Hermione had been asked by Viktor Krum, Colin had asked Luna and Ginny was going with Blaise Zabini, one of Draco's friends.

The night of the Yule Ball, Shadow had dressed in a black figure hugging dress with emerald green shoes and a real emerald necklace from Draco. A feather ring, from her mother, was on her right hand. Her hair was done up in a bun and had green beads and thread woven into it. Hermione wore a loose periwinkle blue dress, and had her hair in a bun too. Luna wore a long dark blue dress, and Ginny wore a green corset and dress. They all looked beautiful. Draco wore black trousers, silver boots and an emerald green shirt. Blaise had a red shirt and boots with black trousers that suited his dark skin. Colin wore a white shirt with black trousers. Krum wore a simple dress robe. They all looked stunning together.

The great Hall looked just as good as they did. It had warm snow, ice sculptures and groups of tables. The punch bowl was made of non-melting ice. Snowflakes fell softly onto Shadow's hair and Draco gently wiped them away. There was a grand staircase, winding up in two different directions (made of clear glass) that lead to a balcony. Mistletoe was everywhere and everyone was mingling until the doors opened.

Fleur Delacour was first, with Rodger Davies, then Viktor with Hermione, then Cedric with Cho Chang, and then Longbottom with Susan Bones.

After the opening dance, Draco and Shadow took to the floor, slowly dancing until the Weird Sisters took over, at which point, the whole floor turned slightly club-like. After a few songs, they slipped outside into the dark. Walking arm in arm, they went to their tree and kissed. They spent a few hours talking and kissing the time away, until they slipped back inside and danced until the ball finished.

Viktor walked Hermione back to her common room as Ginny, Luna and Shadow spied on them. And then they kissed, so the girls pounced and dragged her back to the Hufflepuff rooms- the only girl who had a big enough bed for the four was Shadow.

"So?" Demanded Ginny. "How was it?"

"Brilliant," Hermione sighed. "I think I'm in love."

"I had a very good time," Luna declared.

"Did you see Susan Bones with Longbottom? Didn't she look like a right tart?" Hissed Ginny. "Seriously, showing all that leg and stomach _and_ chest! We weren't in a strip club, it was a _formal ball!_"

"And where did you and Draco get to, Shadow?" Asked Hermione, wiggling her eyebrows.

"We went outside," she said without blushing. "I honestly think I'm in love with him." She sighed. "What about Blaise, then, Ginny?"

Blaise had, apparently, asked her out and kissed her. Luna reported nothing romantic was going on between her and Colin, and soon after they fell asleep.

The second task was where four _hostages_ had been taken to the bottom of the lake! Of course, they didn't know that. Magical viewing screens had been set up so that they could watch the Champions. Fleur was stopped by a huge swarm of Grindylows, and added into the fact that her veela blood made it harder to resist other magical beasts, she had to be pulled out. Her sister (her hostage) was taken out of the lake the minute she touched the surface again. Krum rescued Hermione without much fuss, and Cedric with Cho. Longbottom had taken Gillyweed, but ended up waking the squid and trying to haul Bones from the lake at the same time.

Longbottom was still in last place.

The weeks passed by, until it was June, and the last task. Cedric and Viktor were to go in the maze first, then Fleur, then Longbottom. The goal? Get to the cup, but beware! In the maze, you may not only lose your way, but also yourselves.

Everything was relatively normal until about twenty minutes in. A voice, on Viktor's viewing screen, bellowed, "_Imperio!_" They set the puppet along with orders: _Crucio_ anyone but Longbottom. Cedric was first, then Fleur. Soon, Longbottom found the cup, and grasped onto the handle...


	4. In Which the end draws near

_This is the last chapter! God, I've been a busy bee! Hope you enjoy it, and there WILL be an explanation for why it's so short! And I can't do Viktor's accent. funky xxx_

The screen disappeared with a 'pop'. And the whole thing turned into chaos. The boy-who-lived gone, in a task prepared by the best minds of Hogwarts, Durmstrang and Baxubeatons, the press would be all over it! Cedric, Viktor and Fleur were all okay, much to Hermione and Shadow's relief, but Longbottom was gone for a bit and then he fell onto the grass, holding up the tri-wizard cup. "Voldemort's back," he gasped softly. "He's back, he took my blood..." Dumbledore dragged Longbottom away from the cup, taking him to his office. Suddenly, Moody's skin began rippling, changing: _Polyjuice Potion. _In his place stood Barty Crouch JR, tongue flickering in and out of his mouth. The next few moments where chaos: the man grabbed the portkey, several stunning spells impacted on him at the same moment and the portkey left.

The days after the third task were tense. Shadow and Draco spent a lot of time in one another's company trying to forget about the apparent return of Voldemort. Longbottom got the tri-wizard winnings, and everything seemed to return to normal, with his boasting and the like...But everyone avoided him like the plague, and Shadow spent time with Cedric along with the rest of the Hufflepuffs and Cho Chang. Shadow wasn't happy with Viktor Krum, however. Since the third task, he'd been avoiding Hermione, and when she'd cornered him, he'd broken up with her.

"Viktor Krum!" She bellowed. He turned. "How _dare_ you hurt Hermione? How _dare _you?" She screamed at him. "She's crying her eyes out upstairs!"

"I do not want to hurt her," he replied. "But I have to. Because she cannot be with me."

"Why?" Shadow hissed back. "Because she's muggle-born, is that it? I thought you were different, you bloody hypocritical..." words failed her. "We thought you were different," she finally said. "But you're not."

"I will talk to her," he said softly. "I will talk to her." He turned away, and walked up to the castle.

"She's in the library!" She called to him. He nodded once, showing he'd heard her.

Draco and Shadow were sat in the Room of Requirement when Shadow asked, "Do you really see us in a few years time?" Draco looked startled. "I mean, your father..." He looked at her. "I know what he is, Draco. And so do you. But _he'll_ force you to join up, and I'm a half-blood...Heiress to the Lupin family." The Lupin family was an old, French Pureblood family, as wealthy as the Malfoy's. "You're the Heiress to the Lupins," he said. "Get your father to make a betrothal contract. Father will do it for the political move."

"And I will be forced to join or _die!_" She replied with a hiss. "And I don't want to do either!"

"The Dark Lord-"

"Don't call him that! Call him Voldemort, Draco. And if you can't, He-who-must-not-be-named."

"_Voldemort_," he said, "will not recruit me while I am a child. Don't worry; we have a year, maybe longer, to think on this."

"I can't help it," she sighed, leaning into him. He hugged her, and leant down and whispered in her ear:

"_I can't, either._"

The ride home was quiet. Luna was reading the Quibbler, along with everyone else, and they were simply basking in one another's presence. Suddenly, Hermione spoke.

"Victor talked to me again. Said he was sorry. He invited me over to Bulgaria this summer."

"Why not?" Shadow asked. "You _are _his girlfriend."

"Yes, but...well...my mum and dad don't know that, see," she explained. "And I don't want to tell them...they're picky."

"Don't tell them, then. Send a letter to Viktor, explaining, and then go as friends," Shadow suggested. Hermione beamed.

"You should have been a Slytherin," commented Ginny.

"Could have been. The hat said I could have gone anywhere, but I asked to go somewhere I'd be accepted. Like Derek, the openly gay guy who graduated a bit ago? He could have gone to Slytherin, but wanted to be accepted. Hence, Hufflepuff."

They fell silent, and did not speak again until they said goodbyes at the platform. Ginny was once again put through a Longbottom visit, so Shadow asked if Ginny could stay. The answer was a quiet, yet firm, _no_. And when Shadow got home, she was ordered to pack up all her things.

What was going on?

_Dear readers: that's the end of the story. I will do Shadow's next year, simply out of love. And I have plans for it. However, I won't do the year after that, as I've said before. _

_The reason this is so short is this: I couldn't make it any longer. I mean, half of it's not important if you're not in the Tournament, and if you're not interesting enough for Rita Skeeter, it's not exactly good, is it? Did make it as long as I could, though. _

_Thank you to my wonderful reviewers. I love you all, funky xxx_


End file.
